Myths & Facts about
Older Adults and People
with Disabilities
Are you stereotyping?
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It is important for each of us to evaluate
our own ideas about older adults and
people with disabilities.
To be able to increase our knowledge
we must be open to new ideas and to
eliminating potentially dangerous
assumptions.
Let’s consider some of the more
common misunderstandings.
Myth vs. Fact -1
Myth- Older adults are all alike.
Myth- People with disabilities are all alike.
Fact- Each adult is unique; life experiences
will be different; what each person has
learned and how he/she will respond is
unique.
Myth vs. Fact -2
Myth- The majority of older adults are
senile or demented.
Fact- Only 5% of those over 65 will develop
dementia.
Myth vs. Fact -3
Myth- Older adults are set in their ways.
Fact- Many older people are flexible and
adjust to many life changes.
Myth vs. Fact -4
Myth - Older adults are “Cranky”.
Fact - People who are difficult to get
along with when young, tend to be
difficult to get along with as they
age.
Myth vs. Fact -5
Myth - Older adults are lonely.
Fact - Most older adults have a rich social
life.
Myth vs. Fact -6
Myth - Older adults are always more religious
and will never leave their abuser.
Fact - Many older adults grew up in a time
when formal religion was a common
practice, however, this is not true for
everyone.
Myth vs. Fact -7
Myth - Older adults and people with
disabilities cannot learn new skills.
Fact - Everyone can learn, but some may
need accommodations or different
supports to learn best.
Myth vs. Fact -8
Myth - Older adults and people with
disabilities are not credible witnesses
Fact - Many older adults and people with
disabilities are credible witnesses. Some
may need supports. Remember that the
victim is the expert on what happened to
them.
Myth vs. Fact -9
Myth - Having a disability makes a
person vulnerable to violence.
Fact - People with disabilities have many
risk factors for violence. Many of them
are not directly related to the person’s
disability but to social and
environmental factors.
Myth vs. Fact -10
Myth - There isn’t enough time to interview
someone with a communication disability, or
we don’t have the resources to pay for
accommodations.
Fact - It is required that reasonable
accommodations be provided by the public
entity per the Americans with Disabilities Act.
All cases take time to do a thorough job. All
victims deserve justice and respect.
Myth vs. Fact -11
Myth - Many people with disabilities do
not understand the abuse perpetrated
against them, so it is best to let it go.
Fact - Trauma leaves an impact on victims
and even more so if the person does not
have the chance to share what happened
to them and to access justice.
Myth vs. Fact -12
Myth- There isn’t enough time to train our
people on all of this.
Fact- The human cost to the victim is much
greater than the time it takes to train
people. It has been found that criminal
justice access to people with disabilities and
older adults benefits everyone.
Myths vs. Facts -13
Myth - Domestic and sexual violence
against people with disabilities is rare;
there are very few complaints.
Fact - People with disabilities experience
violence at greater rates than people
without disabilities. As the criminal
justice system gets more responsive,
more people will report.
Myths vs. Facts -14
Myth - Not many people will benefit from this
work. Resources should go elsewhere.
Fact - 20% of people will have a disability at some
point in our lifetime and these numbers are
increasing. Starting January 2012, over 10,000
baby boomers a day will turn 65
Creating safer communities benefits everyone.
Myths vs. Facts-15
Myth - Older adults and people with
disabilities often lie to police or change the
facts of an original complaint.
Facts - There are many legitimate reasons why
they may change their account; including fear
of going to a nursing home; fear of losing
children or services or home.
Attitudes about older adults and
people with disabilities
Personal history
 Personal attitudes about crime victims
 Personal attitudes about older adults
and people with disabilities
 Attitude---Behavior---Results
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Attitudes
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Know that cases involving older adults and
people with disabilities are winnable.
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Attitudes are the biggest barrier to
accessing the criminal justice system. This
includes the attitudes of family members,
victim services, etc. This is a no-cost barrier
to eliminate.
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It is vital to keep the person informed of
what is happening. Use plain language and
victim’s preferred communication.